On September 7, 1876, the James-Younger gang tried to rob the Northfield First National Bank. Townspeople realized what was happening, grabbed their guns, and shot it out in the street.

The resulting body count included the bank teller, Joseph Lee Heywood, and a Swedish immigrant, Nicholas Gustafson, as well as several members of the gang.

Cole, Bob and Jim Younger fled to nearby Madelia, MN (where they were captured). Frank and Jesse James escaped into the Dakotas.

Every September, Northfield holds the Defeat of Jesse James Days, where members of the community reenact the bank robbery and have a parade.

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John Cheever and Raymond Carver taught at the Iowa Writer's Workshop at the same time in 1973.

From a Paris Review article:

"When we were teaching in the Iowa Writers' Workshop in the fall semester of 1973, he and I did nothing but drink. I mean we met our classes, in a manner of speaking. But the entire time we were there—we were living in this hotel they have on campus, the Iowa House—I don't think either of us ever took the covers off our typewriters. We made trips to a liquor store twice a week in my car."

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A bar/music venue in the 90s and early 00s, The Spiral had the following write-up in the NY Times:

The Spiral's circular theme (curlicue above the door, concrete guitar sculpture just inside with an indented spiral at the center) is actually secondary to its industrial theme. The walls are painted a heavy stone-gray; the tables and chairs are shiny black, and the only light comes from behind metal sconces arranged in a neat line on the wall opposite the bar.

The Strokes played one of their (if not their first) bar gig at Spiral on Sept. 14, 1999. Bassist Nikolai Fraiture recalls:

"It was one of our first shows. There were about five people there. I don't even know if they had much of a PA, it was a crap place." (nme.com)

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The Music Building (also called the Manhattan Music Building) is a music rehearsal space that has been open 24/7 since 1979. With 69 studios over 12 floors, the building has had numerous musicians honing their craft within its walls over the years.

In 1999, The Strokes would spend countless all-nighters at their rented space rehearsing their material before releasing their first album, Is This It, in 2001.

Other music icons that have used the rehearsal space include Joey Ramone, Madonna, Billy Idol, Television and The New York Dolls.

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Founded in 1872, the Dwight School went through many iterations and locations before it landed on this Upper West Side location.

A prestigious college prep school, Dwight has seen many notable alumni, including writer Truman Capote and former NYC mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia.

In the music world, singer-songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarist Nick Valensi, and drummer Fab Moretti of The Strokes met and started playing together while at the school.

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